The present application relates to a method of controlling a beverage making device. In particular, the present disclosure relates to controlling frozen beverage type beverage making devices.
Some frozen beverage making devices today control the volume of water and/or product in a mixing hopper in a manner that may cause dilution of frozen product that was previously ready to serve to customers. Today's typical machine would refill the entire amount of new product into the hopper. This resulting product may become warmer than desired as a result of using refill water at one temperature and previously mixed product at a second temperature. This may causes the remaining volume of previously frozen product to melt and therefore become unsuitable for serving.
Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, disclosed is a system and method for delaying refilling of a reservoir or hopper with dilution substance to prevent undesirable characteristics in the resultant beverage. First, a volumetric freezing rate is determined for the product. Next, a volume of product having the desired temperature-related characteristics is dispensed. That volume is measured or calculated during dispensing. The rate the dispensed volume is refilled is controlled to be no greater than the volumetric temperature adjustment rate or re-freezing rate. Alternatively, the beverage dispensing system may disable or otherwise prevent dispensing until the refilled volume is permitted to re-freeze.
Additional features and embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of drawings.
The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the disclosure that is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner.